Which rear mech should I go for??

Looks like I may need to buy a new rear mech to replace my [oldish] XT that seems like it may have got a bit bent the other day.

My options are another XT or try an SLX Shadow – both are currently £39 at CRC. Going to be fitted to my 456 which is running 2×9 so I’ll be getting a medium cage this time.

Anybody got recomendations?

I went for SLX shadow and don’t regret it – used to have XT shadow and non-shadow 🙂

I have just smashed an XT and now have an SLX Shadow which feels just as good!

I just broke my XT shadow, gears and limit screws correctly adjusted, mech managed to get into the spokes, wrapped round the wheel and snapped off, leaving my replaceable mech hanger in one piece. Very annoying when you’ve taken the trouble to carry a spare hanger! Spokes are not even marked let alone kinked, which adds weight to the opinion that Shadows are weak. It snapped off where the B-tension screw is, leaving its threads exposed. Scarily small amount of metal in that area.

Sounds all too familiar, I have just replaced the bottom jockey wheel in my 2009 XT shadow rear mech and two rides in bent the cage so badly (on a tree stump I think) that there is no way I can straighten it out and it has damaged one of the bushing pins.
So having read a number of other folk that seem to have had their cages on their XT shadow mechs bend, I went for a nice new slightly sturdier built (and one of the cages is steel)SLX shadow mech. For the reviews of users of this mech giving it real good scores and the fact that its performance is virtually as good and its cheaper and only a bag of crisps heavier its a no brainer unless you are a weight weenie.

Same here, smashed XT shadow into a rock on my Trek fuel and the cage snapped off on one side, leaving the mech useless. Switched over to SLX to cut down on the cost and performance is the same, just doesn’t look as flashy and is a little heavier which I could care less about! I did bend the SLX’s cage the other day, but was able to bend it back

i think if i didnt have to change the shifters over too i would have gone to sram x9/x0 instead of replacing with xt again, given that it would cost double and then some as id need shifters it put me off 🙁

I am not convinced with the whole shadow thing, they seem a bit floppy and do look weak, when mine fails i will probably put a standard XTR on.

I fitted an SLX shadow when a twisted link destroyed my XT mech.

TBH they’re more of a faff to set up, IMHO more sensitive to cable tension than other mechs. I wish I’d gone for a none shadow mech, probably still SLX though.

SRAM X0 FTW! 😉

SRAM x0 +=1 !!!!

😀

XT med cage rapid rise works for me
never got on with the Shadow

Kev

Missingfrontallobe-You may find that your B-tension screw is set incorrectly, unlike on normal mechs these do seem to make a big difference to shifting. Not found Shadow mechs to be particularly sensitive to cable tension, but setting B-tension correctly will give far better shifting, and may even require you to re-set your limit screws and indexing because of this(also less likely to drop a chain into the wheel too).

SLX Shadow user here of ~2yrs. No problems. Slightly heavier than XT (steel cage), slightly more robust.

I’ve used the same SLX shadow mech on various bikes over the last 3+ years.
Never had a problem setting it up and never bent it (even though it’s had a few knocks).

Another one for SLX, its a great mech its been bashed and bruised over the last 12 months and still shifts perfectly.

I have an SLX shadow rear mech available if you want it?
Medium cage and in pretty awesome condition, done maybe 250mi and is all still straight.
After about £28 for it posted.

gcaster: YGM 🙂